Shaken
by Dakota-Jones
Summary: Supernatural crises are no problem for John Constantine. But when Mother Nature throws her gauntlet down on John’s life, will he and Chas be able to handle the consequences?
1. Default Chapter

Title: Shaken (Part One)  
Author: fatedto flames (DJ)  
Pairing: John Constantine/Chas  
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and some violence  
Spoilers Movie: No, takes place before the movie  
Summary: Supernatural crises are no problem for John Constantine. But when Mother Nature throws her gauntlet down on John's life, will he and Chas be able to handle the consequences?  
X-Posted to three Livejournal Constantine communities(total) and my private LJ.

* * *

John lit up a cigarette and pulled a whiskey glass down from the shelf, quite aware of Chas's eyes locked on him. Instead of answering, however, he simply poured himself a glass of whiskey, the silence of the room normal for him but probably unnerving for the teen.

"John…are you even listening to me?"

John snickered and looked up. "Of course I'm listening."

"And…?"

"No."

Chas groaned and turned away for a moment in frustration. "The answer's _always_ no."

"Then why do you even ask, kid?"

John actually felt a pang of guilt at the look he got from Chas in that moment, but once again, he convinced himself that it was for the kid's own good. After all, if John let him observe an exorcism, next he'd be wanting to help…and that just wouldn't do. Not with the possibility of serious injury.

"I'm going to the library," Chas muttered, grabbing his hat and pulling it down low over his eyes. He hesitated, glanced at John, and then shook his head and walked out, shutting the door hard behind him.

John took a long drag off his cigarette, staring at the door. _Wonder what he'd do if I said yes, _he thought with a smirk. He probably couldn't even imagine the glee that the 17 year old boy would exhibit at the thought of actually accompanying John on an exorcism.

He'd do anything to make Chas happy- anything except that. He didn't know what he would do if Chas got hurt while helping him with an unruly demon. As much as he hated to admit it, he was fond of the kid.

Okay, a little more than 'fond'…but that was beside the point.

He finished his drink and put the glass down on the table- where it promptly began to tremble, the glass warbling against the wooden tabletop. He stared at it for a moment, confused, but then he realized that it wasn't just that- everything was shaking.

His first thought was intense frustration- small earthquakes shitted up all the supernatural activity, left him with a helluva mess to clean up, both physically and spiritually.

His second thought?

_Oh, shit. It's not stopping._

In fact, it was getting worse- much worse. A sudden jolt of the ground sent John stumbling to the floor, where the glass landed and broke just a few inches from his head. He could hear the building shifting violently and the screams of the people in the bowling alley below him, and he pulled himself under the table as more bottles dropped off the shelves to the floor.

_Remember your high school drills, John…get under something heavy…cover your head…_

He did exactly that, covering his head and trying to wait out the violent shifting and cracking of the ground below him. He could hear a roaring sound, the booms of things striking the ground outside, and suddenly something slammed the table above him. The table wavered, and then the legs snapped on one end, and John yanked his legs away just as that end of the table collapsed onto the floor.

And still it went on. Most earthquakes only lasted 30 seconds, at most, but it had been much longer already and the shaking was only getting worse. There was broken glass and holy water all over the floor, and John was covered in dust and soaked, but he didn't dare move yet.

The shaking seemed to get worse for a few moments, and he heard a rumbling outside as part of the building across the street collapsed. Another creaking, and another crash, and then John heard a more sinister sounding crack above him.

He turned over and braced his hands on the bottom of the table, trying to help it stay up at least until the world wasn't shaking apart around him. Another few seconds and the ground finally calmed, the shaking slowly subsiding.

John was about to leave the safety under the table when he heard another crack, and he stayed put long enough for a huge chunk of the ceiling to hit the floor beside the table so hard that it dented and cracked the tiling.

John waited a few more seconds before crawling out from under the table and slowly standing up, surveying the damage with much the same expression he'd survey Hell. Everything was destroyed; the shelves had all broken and fell, the bottles of alcohol broken, the refrigerator tipped over, and chunks of the ceiling lying all over the floor. The green glass in the bathroom doors had shattered, leaving a strange stained glass pattern on the floor.

_I have to go check in with Midnite, make sure this didn't affect other planes…have to start checking utilities…and I'm missing something here…_

_Chas._

_The library can't handle an earthquake of this magnitude…_

John was out the door in two seconds flat, all other responsibilities forgotten.

Chas entered the library in a frustrated rage, earning more than a few curious glances as he stormed over to the section on supernatural occurrences. He ignored the impeccably-dressed librarian down the aisle from him, even when she gave him a disgusted glance and shook her head.

_John doesn't care about all the work you do. He could care less. He just wants a free ride anywhere he wants to go, _he thought bitterly, scanning the titles for the one he'd been reading last time he was here. It was still there, and his place was still marked in it, the corner of the page folded down. _He wouldn't even care if you died. He'd just hire a new driver._

He was just about to grab another book when he realized that the books on the shelf were shaking. In fact, the floor itself was shaking.

The floor suddenly jolted below his feet and Chas almost fell, grabbing onto the shelves for support. It didn't really help, since the shelves were free-standing and just about to tip.

Chas almost bolted from the aisle, but then he caught sight of the librarian down the aisle, clutching to her cart in desperate horror.

The shelves creaked and wavered as the floor jolted again, and Chas made a split second decision. He darted back toward her and body slammed her out of the aisle, just as the shelves careened and fell, sandwiching her cart beneath a huge pile of books and wood.

Chas didn't waste any time listening to her babbling; he had to get both of them to safety. And with the ground shaking the way it was, he had the feeling that this huge room wasn't a safe place to be.

His heart pounding in his throat, he pulled the woman to her feet and tugged her along, stumbling past people who looked dead and fallen books and shelves, taking her to the main door and shoving her into the doorway, where a few other people had taken temporary refuge. After all, in an old building like this, the main doorway was bound to be the strongest point.

A beam fell from the ceiling and landed across three sets of shelves, crushing them and pinning people below them. Chas could hear people screaming, see them scrambling for cover…

Any sane person would've hunkered down and stayed put. Then again, Chas never claimed to be sane.

He pushed the librarian down and told her to cover her head, and then he rushed back out into the main room as the whole structure creaked and groaned. The earth still hadn't quit shaking, and it was hard to walk at all, let alone get anywhere quickly.

He spotted a boy, probably 14 or 15, hunkered down against the wall, obviously terrified, and he grabbed the boy's wrist and pulled him toward the door. The floor literally cracked underneath their feet as they made their way to the doorway, and once he got the boy there and told him to cover his head, he was right back out in the main room.

Chas spotted someone trapped half under a bookshelf, and just as he was rushing to them, he heard a 'snap' right above him. He didn't even have time to move before the whole ceiling seemed to cave in, and the world went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Shaken (Part Two)  
Author: fated to flames (DJ)  
Pairing: John Constantine/Chas  
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and some violence  
Spoilers Movie: No, takes place before the movie  
Summary: Supernatural crises are no problem for John Constantine. But when Mother Nature throws her gauntlet down on John's life, will he and Chas be able to handle the consequences?  
X-Posted to three Constantine communities(total) and my private LJ.

* * *

_He'll be fine. He'll be fine. He's a smart kid…reckless, but smart. He can handle this._

Such was the mantra in John's mind as he struggled over wreckage, ignoring the carnage and destruction around him as his presently one-track mind focused on the one thing that mattered- Chas.

He wasted no time on the way there, but when he arrived at the library…or what was left of it…he almost wished he had.

There was nothing left but a smoking, tangled mess of wood, books, and bricks. Nothing.

"Chas…" John choked out, hesitating before rushing up to the building. People were milling around outside, some still with books in their hands, and John quickly found the first person with a library ID hanging around her neck. The woman looked like an absolute mess, but it was a start.

"Ma'am…ma'am, a boy was in there," John said, grabbing her arm tightly and trying to get her to concentrate on him. "He's seventeen, kinda scrawny, green jacket, short brown hair…"

Something clicked in the woman's eyes, and she spun around, looking back toward the wreckage.

"He…that kid, he took me to the door…"

John's heart leaped. If Chas took her to the door, then maybe, just maybe, he'd done the smart thing and gotten out before it collapsed. "And then? Did he get out?"

The woman raised a hand to her mouth, seeming to be in a confused daze. "N-No…he went back in to help that trapped girl…j-just before it collapsed, oh, God…he d-didn't get out, it's my fault, he didn't get out…"

The woman's babbling was no longer reaching John. He stared at her, feeling nauseated, dizzy, enraged, and agonizingly anguished all at once. He slowly turned back to the wreckage that was once the library, and after a few seconds, he rushed right into it.

"Chas! CHAS!" He yelled, looking for any sign of life. All of a sudden hands were pulling him back, gloved hands, and he fought, trying to pull away.

"No, I have to find him-"

"Sir, this is a hazardous area! You have to come with me," the fireman pulling him said, calmly pulling the dazed John away.

"But he's still _in_ there somewhere!"

"I know, sir, we're doing all we can, but you have to stay back."

It took ten minutes and three firemen to pull John away from the scene, and even then a policeman on the scene handcuffed him to the nearest destroyed vehicle to keep him from interfering. He leaned against the car, staring at what was left of the building as the police took dogs over the wreckage.

_It's my fault. If I hadn't been such an ass to him, if I'd just said 'yes' for once in my God forsaken life, he would've been safe with me, _John thought, his throat tight. _Now he could be dead. _

_I knew I shouldn't have gotten attached. I shouldn't have fallen for-_

"Was he your son?"

John's head snapped away from the ruins of the library to find the librarian standing next to him, her hair a mess, her clothes covered in dirt and dust, but looking more composed in general.

"No," John said, the question sending a wave of disgust through him. "He's…he _is_ my apprentice," he explained, deliberately using the present tense. Chas was not yet a _'was'_. If he thought of him like that…it would break him.

Her eyebrows raised. "Your apprentice? What exactly do you do?"

Normally John Constantine would have no patience for such questions, but right now…right now John wasn't quite the normal 'Constantine. John Constantine, asshole'. He was more like the 'Hi, my name is John, and I'm in serious need of a big hug'.

"I'm an exorcist."

The librarian snorted and smiled weakly. "That explains a lot about him."

John glanced at her curiously before looking back at the search teams' progress. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He came in just about every day looking like his dog had just died," the librarian explained with a shrug. "I assumed he was another one of those abused kids from the slums, all 'woe is me'…but I can see how working with that demon stuff all the time must be stressful."

John swallowed hard. He'd never realized how it seemed to happen every day, how often he brushed Chas off. To him, up until now, Chas was just the tagalong, the boy who slept on his couch, ate his food, and served as his chauffeur. Oh, and that little nagging object of lust in the back of his mind.

But now that he might be gone…John Constantine felt like he'd been ripped to shreds inside.

"Hey! Hey, I think Max found somethin'!"

John looked back out to the library, where a golden retriever was digging and barking, his trainer calling to the other police. John pulled hard on the handcuffs, trying to get free, but it was no use.

The policemen pulled a few blocks away before John could hear them shouting toward the ground, obviously trying to figure out if anyone was alive in the rubble. And after a few moments, John heard a muffled female voice shout back.

"Three alive down here, guys, we've got to get a crew down here!" One of the policemen yelled, and John practically went into a frenzy trying to pull his hand from the handcuffs.

"Lady, go ask them who it is. Go ask them!" He demanded, and the librarian nodded and stumbled away, one of the heels on her shoes broken off. John watched, his whole body tense as she approached a policeman and gestured to John.

After a few moments, the policeman walked over and grabbed John's shoulder.

"If I take those off, will you promise to stay out of the way?"

"Yes, yes, god damnit, as long as you find out if it's Chas in there."

The policeman shrugged and began unlocking the cuffs. "All I know so far is we've got two females and one male alive down there, and one dead body, older male. I'll work on finding out for you, okay? Just stay out of trouble."

John nodded, and the man worked his way back out to the crew, talking with them, talking a little more with the trapped people, and then coming back to John.

"Alright, look…rescue crews are coming, and-"

"Don't you fuckin' sugar coat this," John said with an impatient scowl, and the man, Officer Hendricks from his name tag, sighed.

"Two girls, Lisa Jenkins and Rachelle Lee…and one boy, Chas Kramer," he said, and John let out a sigh of relief.

"How is he?"

"The two girls are fine, mostly scrapes and bruises. A beam from the ceiling hit the fallen shelves and kept more debris from falling on them…like an improvised cavern," Hendricks explained. "Chas, he…to be honest, sir, he isn't good. The beam pinned him down pretty good, he's having trouble staying conscious. The girls are trying to keep him awake."

John's throat and fists tightened. "Hw long before you can get him out?"

Hendricks let out a long breath and ran his hand through his hair. "If you want me to be blunt…there's no telling. There's a rescue crew on the way, but it might be an hour or more before they can get here, with all the other buildings fallen like this. We're just gonna try and feed an air tube down to them, get them some air, but…"

"I have to talk to him."

Hendricks looked at John sharply. "Sir, I really don't think-"

"I don't think you heard me right, officer. I _have_ to talk to him. He wouldn't dare die if he knew I was there…it would be less than impressive."

Hendricks looked from the ruins of the library to John, and then he sighed again. "Fine. Fine. But if I tell you to leave, you have to leave, understand?"

John was already gone by the time he finished that sentence, picking his way through the fallen building to where the policemen were standing. He had to talk to Chas, he had to hear the boy's voice for himself…

He had to know that he wouldn't lose the first and only good thing he'd ever had before he even realized just how much he needed it.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Shaken (Part Three)  
Author: fatedtoflames (DJ)  
Pairing: John Constantine/Chas  
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and some violence  
Spoilers Movie: No, takes place before the movie  
Summary: Supernatural crises are no problem for John Constantine. But when Mother Nature throws her gauntlet down on John's life, will he and Chas be able to handle the consequences?  
X-Posted to three Constantine communities(total) and my private LJ.

* * *

John kneeled down where the policemen were gathered, looking around for any sign of a opening, a way they could rescue the trapped people inside. Nothing.

"Chas! Chas, you in there!" He yelled, leaning close to the ground. At first there was no answer, and he heard muffled female voices, and then…

"John…t-that you?"

John breathed a heavy sigh of relief despite how weak and shaky Chas's voice sounded. "Yeah, it's me, kiddo…how you doin' in there?"

Another hesitation, a pained gasp that was even audible above ground. "I...I've got r-reading material, t-that's for sure…"

John couldn't help but smile and shake his head. That was just like Chas, to make such a comment at a time like this.

"Chas, are you hurt?" No answer. "Chas…Chas!"

A frantic female voice answered instead. "Get us out of here, we can't _breathe_!"

"Chas, you fuckin' answer me right now!" John ordered.

"I'm h-here, John…I'm okay…"

"No he's not," John muttered, looking up at the policemen. "We have to get them out. _Now_."

One of the policemen sneered. "And just what do you propose that we do? The rescue team won't be here for at least another half hour, and we have no supplies."

John was about to just punch the guy, but then his eyes caught sight of something. The beam that he presumed Chas was stuck under was sticking up from the debris. If they could pull it out…but then the debris on top of it would collapse on the people beneath. That would kill them.

"Start removing as much of this shit as you can. And someone find a car that still runs good," he ordered the cops, and one of them shot him a glare.

"Who put _you_ in charge?"

John sneered. "I don't see you doing anything more productive. You need to lose weight anyway, officer…so _start hauling_."

The officer was about to come after John, his jaw set and his fists tight, but Officer Hendricks grabbed his shoulder.

"Come on, man…there's people trapped down there. Now's not the time," he hissed.

John worked with the police, pulling away debris and occasionally calling out to the girls and Chas. The girls seemed okay, but Chas's voice grew weaker with every moment, and it was killing John. He couldn't stand to not hear the spark, the animation in the boy's voice.

"That's as much as we can get without moving something that could make the whole cavity cave in," Hendricks said to John as they stood back and surveyed the situation. "We'll just have to wait, Mr. Constantine."

John slowly shook his head. Hendricks was right, of course, but he wasn't sure they could afford to wait.

He leaned down once again, calling out to the girls. It was easier to hear them now, with much of the debris gone.

"Are you guys okay?"

A silence.

"I…I think he's dead...oh, god, I think he's dead!" A panicked voice returned, and John stopped breathing.

"Calm down, okay? Stay with me here. Can you reach him?"

"Y-Yeah…I think so…"

"Feel for a pulse, Lisa. And don't panic."

There was a long tense pause before her voice came back, a pause that almost made John physically ill. Finally, the girl spoke. "It's really weak…"

John took a few moments to contain a scream of frustration. "Alright, Lisa, you and Rachelle just hang in there. Keep an eye on him for me."

"There's nothing else we can do until the rescue crew gets here," Hendricks said with a regretful, helpless shrug, but John shook his head.

"We can't wait any more. He's _dying_."

"There's _nothing_ we can do."

"Bullshit," John snapped, looking over the situation frantically. There had to be some way to reach Chas, some way to save him…

"You look simply dreadful, Constantine."

John spun around, shocked to see Balthazar standing there, looking as smug as ever, impeccably neat even in the wreckage.

"Now's not the time, asshole," John snapped, turning away.

"How long has he been trapped? I hear suffocation is a deliciously horrid death…"

John turned on Balthazar in a fury, grabbing him by the collar. "You better fuckin' shut your mouth. I'm not gonna deal with your shit right now."

Balthazar shrugged. "I just figured you might want some help…and considering a few of my colleagues caused this whole mess, I almost feel as if I owe you that much," he said with an evil smirk.

John scowled. "I should've figured this was the work of demons. Look, I don't have time for this. I'm _busy_."

Balthazar smiled deviously. "Allow me, by all means."

He stepped past John, kneeled down, and then reached down into the debris and rubble. With one yank of his unnaturally strong arm, aided by demon magic, of course, most of the rubble was shoved away.

John didn't bother to thank him or ask him why he did it- he shoved the half breed out of the way and began helping out the first person he saw, one of the girls. She was scratched up and looked like hell, obviously scared to death but otherwise fine. He passed her off to a couple other civilians and then helped the next girl out as Balthazar looked on with an amused expression.

As soon as the girls were safe John climbed down to where Chas lay, still pinned by the beam. He gently touched Chas's face, and the boy barely stirred and moaned softly. John cringed, his hand moving to rest lightly on Chas's shoulder.

John's eyes traveled up the beam pinning Chas down. There was no way they could move it. Not without other-worldly help.

"Chas…" He said softly, and then his eyes traveled up to meet Balthazar's smug gaze. Without a word, the question was passed along.

"You'll owe me," Balthazar said simply, and John barely nodded.

Not another word was spoken before Balthazar climbed down and joined John in lifting the beam, pushing it off to the side and dropping it. John dropped down beside Chas, surveying the damage and trying not to actually think about it.

Chas's shirt was soaked in blood, and he was covered in scratches and dust. John felt for a pulse, which was there, but butterfly-weak.

"He needs a hospital," he said, his voice choked on the words, looking up at Hendricks. "How do we get him to a hospital?"

Hendricks thought for a few moments, and then he said, "I can try to contact a helicopter, but they won't be able to land anywhere close. We'll have to transport him to them on foot."

John sighed and looked back down at Chas, resisting the urge to just pull him up into his arms and hold him, or run his fingers through those dusty curls.

"Somebody find me something to use as a stretcher."


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Shaken (Part Four)

Author: fated to flames (DJ)

Pairing: John Constantine/Chas

Rating: PG-13 for swearing and some violence

Spoilers Movie: No, takes place before the movie

Summary: Supernatural crises are no problem for John Constantine. But when Mother Nature throws her gauntlet down on John's life, will he and Chas be able to handle the consequences?

X-Posted to three Constantine communities(total) and my private LJ.

* * *

"Tell me Balthazar…since when did you decide to_not_ show off?" John asked quietly as he and Balthazar loaded Chas onto the door they were using as a makeshift stretcher. Balthazar smirked.

"It's rash of you to think I would upset the balance…"

"Bullshit."

"And your apprentice needs medical attention. No time for the humans to grovel my strength."

"Also bullshit," John muttered. Balthazar never bothered to block human sight from his abilities before…so why now?

Not that he had time to figure it out. Chas was stirring, every movement obviously causing lots of pain, and John kept a close watch on him the whole time.

"Any luck yet?" He asked Hendricks, who was still conversing on his radio.

"Not yet. All the undamaged helicopters are on other runs," Hendricks said, shaking his head. "I'll keep trying."

John clenched his jaw in frustration, one hand holding Chas's head still as the boy squirmed in unconscious agony. They'd done what they could to bandage the wounds, slowing the bleeding, but every second brought Chas closer to being beyond help.

"Sounds like you are shit out of luck," Balthazar said with that snarky smirk, and John gave him a glare that could kill.

"I'll deport you in half a second-"

"You wouldn't. You owe me, remember?"

"If he dies, I don't owe you a damn thing."

"John! I think we might have something!" Hendricks yelled, and John promptly forgot all about Balthazar, his hopes rising once again.

"Anything, Hendricks. He can't last."

"Private citizen with a Humvee, about a mile from here. He heard me on the scanner and wants to help out. Bumpy ride, but if we strap him down he should be okay," Hendricks explained. "We may not get another chance…"

John swallowed hard, looking down at Chas briefly as the boy let out another pained whimper.

"Tell him to come. We'll risk it."

They set the stretcher down on the nearest flat surface, and John sat down next to it, watching Chas's every movement. He brushed the boy's hair back from his face on the pretense of checking for more scratches, but his hand lingered a bit longer than necessary, fingering the messy curls for a few moments.

"A little young for you, isn't he?" Balthazar asked, kneeling down on the other side of the stretcher. John sighed.

"Don't you have other people to be bothering right now?"

"I'm staying to help."

John laughed bitterly. "No. No, you're not. What's your real stake in this, half breed? What's in it for you?"

Balthazar smiled. "I would tell you, John, but I believe that would count as upsetting your precious _balance_."

John scowled, but at that moment Chas began to come to, and he pushed that aside for now. He'd deal with Balthazar later; right now he had to devote all his attention to Chas.

"…J-John?" Chas said, a bit confused as he opened his eyes.

"Ssh, kid, it's okay. You're gonna be fine," John said to him, one hand on his arm.

Chas barely nodded, his breathing short and labored. "Did the girls…"

"They're fine, Chas. They both got out fine."

Chas breathed half a sigh of relief before it broke down into coughs, and John cringed. "Breathe deep…try not to move," he said gently, trying to stay calm.

He heard a loud crunching sound as the Humvee traversed over the wreckage and pulled up next to the destroyed library. The driver jumped out- a very, very scary looking burly woman.

"Alright, where's the kid? Let's strap him in here," She practically roared, opening the back. John practically felt sick, but he wasn't about to turn away their only chance because she acted like a trucker from Arkansas.

John motioned her over, and she hurried over and kneeled down.

"Yep, he's pretty banged up," she said, and John rolled his eyes.

Within minutes they had Chas in the Humvee, strapped in tightly and ready for transport. By then Balthazar had simply disappeared, which John was grateful for, and he rode in the back with Chas, trying to keep the boy awake.

"M'tired, John…"

John smiled weakly. "I know, kiddo. Just hang in there a few more minutes."

"Don't wanna."

"Well, too fuckin' bad. You're staying awake."

"Asshole," Chas slurred softly, closing his eyes again. John lightly slapped his face, forcing him to open his eyes again even as the Humvee lurched and took off.

Chas cried out in pain at the sudden jerk, and soon his eyes were glazed over in pain, every bump eliciting a gasp or whimper from him. John took his jacket off and slipped it under Chas's head, and then left one hand there, holding his head in place so it wouldn't be jostled so much.

Despite the pain Chas was fading once again, John could tell. He knew he should do something, anything to keep him awake, but he just wasn't sure what.

"Listen, Chas…I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to upset you," he said, hoping his apology could shock Chas back into consciousness. Chas frowned, forcing his eyes open and giving John an incredulous look.

"Don't worry 'bout it…"

John shook his head. "See, that's the problem, kiddo…I never worried about it before now. So I just wanted to, uh…apologize in general. For all the times I've done that."

Chas almost laughed. "Don't b-bother…you'll just…" A moan of pain. "…Do it again anyway."

John cringed and hesitated. "Is that…is that what you think? Really?"

Chas let his eyes fall closed again. "I dunno what to think…" He muttered weakly, and John couldn't help himself. As they pulled up in front of the damaged yet busy hospital he reached up and gently touched Chas's face. The skin was soft yet cold below his fingers, and Chas moaned softly.

"Hold on, Chas. Just hold on a little longer and I'll prove that I mean it."


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Shaken (Part Four)

Author: fated to flames (DJ)

Pairing: John Constantine/Chas

Rating: PG-13 for swearing and some violence

Spoilers Movie: No, takes place before the movie

Summary: Supernatural crises are no problem for John Constantine. But when Mother Nature throws her gauntlet down on John's life, will he and Chas be able to handle the consequences?

X-Posted to three Constantine communities(total) and my private LJ.

* * *

It had been five fucking hours.

The whole hospital was a bustling place, the injured and dead being brought in and out constantly, disoriented people sitting in the hallways sobbing, people trying to find their loved ones, and general disorder. John, however, was disconnected from all this; he was sitting in the waiting room in a daze, unresponsive, staring at the floor with a gazed over look. People had been asking him questions, bumping past him, asking if he was okay and sending him odd looks the whole time, but none of them received any response. He'd tried multiple times to light up a cigarette, but each time his efforts were thwarted by pushy nurses who wouldn't have him smoking in the hospital.

_I should've said yes, just this once. If I would've trusted him, just this once, he wouldn't be in this position._

Thoughts like that were the only thing John was conscious of, that and the passing time. He kept telling himself that it was only taking this long because of how busy the doctors were, but then he'd wonder if they were neglecting Chas, leaving him alone on some stretcher in a dark hallway.

_If those doctors don't do their job and do it well, I swear to God…_

"Mr. Constantine?"

The voice sounded familiar, and John looked up to see the doctor that had met them at the door. The man certainly looked frazzled, and still had blood all over him.

"Is he alright?" John asked, standing up.

"He'll be fine. We were afraid at first that the bruising on his lungs was too extensive, but he's lucky. It wasn't as bad as we first thought," the doctor explained, and John sighed with relief.

"Can I see him?"

Another stretcher rolled past, a severely injured woman on it, screaming in pain. "Sure, room 113," the doctor said before rushing after the stretcher.

John made his way down the crowded hallway to room 113, which had three other stretchers set up in it to occupy more patients. He immediately spotted Chas by the window, eyes closed, an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth and an IV in his wrist. John hesitated, looking down at the floor for a few moments; it was hard to look at Chas like this.

He slowly walked over to the bed, glancing at the man in the bed next to Chas's. He wasn't as lucky; he looked like the entire left side of his body had been put through a meat grinder. The other two beds were empty right now.

"Chas…you awake?" He asked gently as he sat down. No response. He sighed and buried his face in his hands, taking a few moments to gather his wits.

"Damn bastard…why'd you have to leave like that?" He muttered, looking up. Chas was so pale that it scared him a little, and the steady beeping of the heart monitor was like a clock, ticking away suspenseful moments of dread that the boy would never wake up.

John sighed again, more out of frustration this time, frustration with both himself and Chas. Before he realized he'd moved, his hand was clasped tightly onto Chas's. He swallowed hard, gently rubbing Chas's knuckles with his thumb.

"Come on, kiddo, wake up. I'm not feelin' particularly patient," he said with a nervous, quiet laugh.

"I don't believe you've ever been patient, John."

John looked up only to find Gabriel standing on the other side of Chas's bed, the vague glowing outline of wings barely showing against the wash-white wall behind him. John snorted and shook his head.

"Shouldn't you be out doing angelic shit, like saving all the other trapped people?"

Gabriel smirked. "The balance, John. I can only give my blessing, not my strength."

"Even when people are dying."

"You know the rules."

"Better than most," John pointed out, and then quite suddenly realized that he was still holding Chas's hand, and he jerked his hand back. Chas stirred and groaned softly, but didn't wake up. "So, Gabriel…why are you bothering me? I'm kinda busy."

"You're always looking for an opportunity to aid the side of good…"

John shook his head. "I'm not leaving. Especially not for one of your 'jobs'. I have to be here when he wakes up."

Gabriel seemed amused by this insistence. He circled around the bed and placed a hand on John's shoulder, and he tensed up.

"He's not going anywhere, John. All I'm asking is that you go and exorcise a few rogue demons from this plane. They got through during the earthquake."

"I was told they _started_ the earthquake."

"Also true, but fortunately their plan didn't work. Only a few made it through to this plane," Gabriel explained.

"Possessions or demons in true form?" John asked.

"Mostly possessions, and most of the possessed are injured or dying. It's very simple, John…I have faith that you can handle it in very little time."

John looked back down at Chas, who still seemed to be sleeping peacefully. It couldn't hurt to leave for an hour or so, get a few more brownie points with God. Chas was injured anyway, he wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Alright, I'll…"

By the time John started to speak, Gabriel was already gone. John slowly stood up, instinctively reaching for his cigarettes and forcing himself to stop halfway through the action.

"I'll be back, kid," he said, reaching up and brushing the sweat-soaked curls back from Chas's forehead. He hesitated, unwilling to let go, but after a few moments he pulled his hand back.

He turned and walked out, shoving aside the turmoil over the sudden attachment he was feeling to his young apprentice…


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Shaken (Part Six)

Author: fated to flames (DJ)

Pairing: John Constantine/Chas

Rating: PG-13 for swearing and some violence

Spoilers Movie: No, takes place before the movie

Summary: Supernatural crises are no problem for John Constantine. But when Mother Nature throws her gauntlet down on John's life, will he and Chas be able to handle the consequences?

X-Posted to three Constantine communities(total) and my private LJ.

* * *

The exorcisms were rough, just as John expected, but not for the reason he expected. As Gabriel had warned him, most of the possessed were those who had been weakened by injury during the quake, and some were so close to death that John saw no point in trying. Others were brought to death's door in the process of the exorcism. 

Needless to say, by the time he finished he was practically sleep-walking. He wanted nothing more than to go home, curl up in bed, and sleep for hours, but two things prevented that. One, his apartment was in shambles and had no utilities. Two, he had to get back to the hospital and check on Chas.

He walked into Chas's room, where the other three beds were now occupied…unlike Chas's.

The boy was gone.

John rushed over to the bed, where he spotted a piece of paper laying on the rumpled sheets, folded up. He picked it up and unfolded it with hands trembling with pent up nervousness.

_John,_

_Consider the debt paid in full._

_B_

John's jaw tightened and his fists clenched on the note. Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place.

All the possessed were weakened, injured in the quake.

Balthazar had been suspiciously willing to help, for seemingly no reason.

There was only one explanation…

John turned to the woman standing beside the bed next to Chas's, resisting the usual urge to rough her up to get information. She looked roughed-up enough already.

"When did he leave and with who?" He asked her, gesturing to Chas's empty bed. She looked up, wiping tears from her cheeks and sniffling.

"H-His father came in to get him about a half hour ago," she explained quietly.

"He didn't struggle?"

The lady looked confused. "No, he just woke up, took out the IV's and went. Seemed kind of dazed, it was weird."

_Unnatural strength, zombie-like…classic beginning of an exorcism_, John thought. _And with Balthazar there to support the demon, Chas never had a chance, especially not injured the way he was._

"Thank you," he muttered to the woman, heading for the door with renewed energy. Balthazar may have considered Chas payment for keeping the boy alive, but to John his apprentice was under no circumstances a bartering token. If he'd thought that, he could've pimped Chas out to demons in exchange for information from the start; the kid was gorgeous in a childish way, and that would've made him wildly popular among demonic half breeds. The big brown eyes, flawless complexion, soft curly chocolate brown hair…things might have gone easier on him that way, it certainly would've been more efficient than trying to teach the kid…but John couldn't bring himself to do it. In fact, every time John saw half breeds near Chas, the wave of jealousy that came over him was almost too much to handle.

_Where the hell am I supposed to start? Where would Balthazar take Chas right after an earthquake like this? _John thought, stopping outside the hospital and looking around. Of course, knowing Balthazar, he'd know that the earthquake was coming and use protection spells on his apartment. That would be the place to start. If nothing else, he might be able to get messages off the answering machine or paperwork that would clue him in to Balthazar's plans for Chas.

_Just don't panic. Don't panic. Don't-_

His mantra of thought was interrupted by a bark. John slowly looked down, and standing at his feet was a dirty, mangy excuse for a dog, a brown and white mutt that almost came up to his knees.

He scowled and started to walk away, toward Balthazar's fancy apartment building, but he quickly realized that he was being followed. He stopped and gave the dog a glare, but that didn't discourage the furry creature in the least. It just panted and whined.

"Shoo," John snapped, starting to walk again. The clicking of dog nails on pavement kept up with him, and he tried to ignore the mutt, hoping it would go away.

"Jesus, you're as bad as…" _Chas._

John stopped, a pang of guilt hitting him. Was that what he'd always done to Chas, really? Ignore him hoping he would go away on his own?

If that was what he was subconsciously doing, it obviously didn't work. Chas, and this dog…both too hopeful, too blindly optimistic to let go.

The dog whined again, and John looked down at it, his gaze much softer than before.

"Well, if you're gonna come, at least keep up. I'm not slowing down for you," he muttered, starting to walk again. The dog took up pace beside him, eager to please.

John once again tried to ignore the devastation around him as he walked. On every corner there was someone looking for a loved one, someone lost or injured, all at an utter loss as to what they could do now. He couldn't even imagine how many people were homeless now.

_All of this for a plot that didn't even work_, John thought, shaking his head and lighting up a cigarette. It was only his third or fourth of the day, a major relief to his senses. The nicotine soothed his mind like a power nap, making him think clearer and boosting his patience.

Just as he'd suspected, Balthazar's apartment building looked virtually untouched. There was a police guard who was insisting that it wasn't safe to go inside, but after a couple hundred dollars to the officer it was considerably safer.

The dog followed him inside and up the two flights of stairs, and John didn't even bother knocking- he kicked the door in and walked right inside.

The place was impeccable. Not a single item was moved from its perfect position, not a book had fallen from the bookshelves, and the lights and water were working despite the fact that they were working nowhere else in the city. John walked right in and looked around, almost blinded by the whites and grays of the color scheme in the apartment.

"Alright, kid…let's find the phone first," John said to the dog, who was sniffing around the room obsessively. John walked straight to the kitchen, where the phone sat beside a rack of sparkling knives.

The red light was lit on the answering machine, and for a moment, John considered the possibility that Balthazar could've planted this. After all, e was a smart man…he probably realized that this was the first place John would come.

He'd have to take that chance.

He pressed the button, and for a moment, there was only background noise. Then, a voice cut across the line, an unfamiliar, harsh voice.

"Balthazar…Balthazar, somethin' went wrong. It didn't work. We need the kid now, not tomorrow. I know you're hearin' this, man, so get that kid to us, warehouse on the corner of 27th and Willow. _Now._"

There was angry arguing in the background, then the beep. The apartment fell silent once again, and John paused for a moment, considering.

Assuming the 'kid' they were talking about was Chas, why would they need him after this earthquake? What could one possessed teenager possibly do for them with a failure of this magnitude?

There was always the chance that he was going to walk right into a trap. The message might have been planted. Even if it was real, Balthazar might not have even listened to it yet. It was a huge risk…but it was the only lead John had.

John broke out of his thoughts to the dog pawing at his leg, and he leaned down and gently scratched its ears.

"Come on, kiddo…we're goin' to that warehouse."


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Shaken (Part Seven)

Author: fatedtoflames (DJ)

Pairing: John Constantine/Chas

Rating: PG-13 for swearing and some violence

Spoilers Movie: No, takes place before the movie

Summary: Supernatural crises are no problem for John Constantine. But when Mother Nature throws her gauntlet down on John's life, will he and Chas be able to handle the consequences?

X-Posted to three Constantine communities(total) and my private LJ.

Reviews greatly appreciated!

* * *

The dumb mutt seemed to follow John no matter what. There were dozens of distractions and complications on the way, but nothing deterred the dog from following him wherever he went. And that's when he started to get suspicious.

Sure, he'd never heard of a possessed dog, but Hell always started shit with him anyway.

"What's your deal, huh?" He asked the dog, squatting down in front of it and gripping it by the ears. The dog just stared at him and panted happily. John flicked it on the nose, and then pulled out a small cross from his jacket and tapped the dog on the head with it.

No reaction. Simply more of that oblivious, sparkling stare.

"Okay, so let's try something else here…"

John pulled out his keychain of talismans. One by one, he lifted each one to the light.

Nothing. In fact, the dog started licking them.

John groaned in frustration and stood up, starting to walk again. So the dog most certainly wasn't a demon, that was for sure. _You've never had a dog. Maybe this is what they act like all the time, _John thought, glancing back at the happily trotting pup.

The warehouse had a little damage, but other than that it seemed untouched. Broken windows and a few missing roof panels were the only evidence that a disaster had occurred.

"Looks pretty quiet," John mumbled to the dog, who'd stopped beside him. John spent a few moments chewing himself out for repeatedly talking to a dog, and then moved forward again. "Let's get a look inside here…"

He walked to a back door and barely cracked it open, cringing as a stream of light broke through the darkness inside. He couldn't see anyone inside; only stacks of boxes, tons of dust, and a small forklift.

His eyes traveled down to the floor, where he inspected the coating of dust on it. Recent footprints were there, imprints in the dust. It looked as if fancy shoes had made one set of the imprints. The other set looked like common sneaker prints, something a teenager might wear, and the prints were smeared and smudged. Whoever made those prints had been struggling, dragged here forcibly.

Only one person John knew of would be wearing dress shoes after an earthquake and toting a struggling teen.

He sneered, and then slipped inside, almost closing the door on the dog, who insistently followed him inside. He followed the tracks through the huge building to a clearing in the center, where the tracks met another pair of tracks coming from a different door- tracks that looked like work boots. Construction boots.

John looked around the jumbled mess of footprints, finding drops of blood interspersed among the prints, until he finally figured out what transpired.

The fancy shoes went off toward the front door alone. Balthazar left without Chas.

The person wearing the work boots obviously took Chas, off toward a side door, but Chas had definitely been struggling. Drops of blood were on the floor, and bloody handprints were evident on a few of the boxes, as if Chas had grabbed them in an attempt to pull away. John smirked as he thought of the fight his apprentice would have put up despite the possession, especially if the demon hadn't been in control at the time.

The dog whimpered, and John looked up to where the dog was standing by the door. He headed over there, and almost laughed when he saw what was by the door- a wallet.

He picked it up, and found that it was smeared with blood- blood that he didn't doubt was from Chas. The kid was smart, smarter than he'd previously acknowledged. In the struggle he'd palmed and dropped the wallet, knowing that somehow John would find him.

Inside the wallet was a veritable jackpot. Credit cards, a few hundred dollars in fifties, and a driver's license, all branded with the name 'Gordon Whittaker'. John looked at the picture, and quickly realized that he'd seen this man before- at Midnite's club. A tall, skinny man, with quickly thinning blonde hair and blue eyes. You'd never expect him to be a demon by looking at him.

He also was a well known architect with a couple dozen building projects going in LA right now. His name was plastered all over the construction sites, so it was hard to miss where his buildings were going up.

If the demons needed a place to run an operation, one of Whittaker's buildings would be the perfect place to do it- especially if they were still being built, still under Whittaker's supervision.

_Okay, think John, think. Most of the projects are skyscrapers. They wouldn't fare well in the earthquake, so that possibility is out. A lot of the other projects are too unfinished, just frames, open to the elements. _

That left three in downtown LA- a two story accounting firm that would be finished in a month or so, a new hotel that would open its doors in a few weeks, and…

UCLA. He was in charge of construction of the new school of architecture building, which was supposed to open today.

The same day that the demons pulled this earthquake stunt.

_Doubt that's a coincidence, _John thought, heading for the door. He had to get to UCLA, despite the fact that the place would be a nuthouse after something like this. Half the student body was from out of state, many had never been in an earthquake, so the place was well known as a place to avoid in a crisis situation. Too many crazy people.

The click of nails on the pavement as John left the warehouse reminded him of his companion, and he smirked and shook his head as the dog once again caught up with him.

_There was a lot of blood in that warehouse, Constantine. Pick up the pace,_ John thought, speeding up his strides. Then, a familiar voice cut through his thoughts and made him stop in his tracks.

"I would suggest you let Heaven handle this one, John," Gabriel said, and John spun around. In an instant he'd grabbed the angel by the tie and slammed him up against the wall.

"I really don't have time for you, bastard, especially since you're the reason he's gone," he hissed, but the half breed seemed undeterred by his harsh tone.

"For once, Constantine…you're going to get in over your head, and your fancy toys won't be able to pull you out," he said quietly, putting his hand over John's to keep him from choking him. John growled and shoved him against the wall before letting go.

"Doesn't matter. I'm going after them," he said, starting to walk again. Gabriel took up pace beside him.

"I would stress that this situation is far beyond what you can handle, being mortal…"

"Fuck off."

"I can't let you take your own life this way."

"So try and stop me," John said, knowing full well that Gabriel, even with unlimited power, had to respect the balance. He couldn't do a damn thing.

Gabriel stopped, and John continued walking. "You're making a mistake, John. One child isn't worth you going to Hell for all eternity, not to you. I know you…you can't make this decision."

John stopped and almost laughed, and then he looked over his shoulder.

"I've already made it."

John started walking again, the dog following closely.

_Too bad I may have made the decision too late._


End file.
